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Updated: Jun 26, 2025

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations
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Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Published on: December 7, 2021

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Demographic fluctuations in bloodstream Staphylococcus aureus lineages configure the mobile gene pool and

Stephanie S R Souza1, Joshua T Smith2,3, Michael M Marcovici1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, NY USA.

Npj Antimicrobials and Resistance
|May 10, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Genomic analysis reveals how Staphylococcus aureus lineages evolve in bloodstream infections. Fluctuations in specific lineages correlate with the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes over time.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections lead to significant morbidity and mortality.
  • The emergence of multidrug-resistant and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains exacerbates this threat.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the circulating S. aureus lineages causing bloodstream infections.
  • To investigate the contribution of individual lineages to antimicrobial resistance over time.

Main Methods:

  • Generated 852 high-quality draft genome sequences of S. aureus isolates from blood cultures (2010-2022).
  • Analyzed population structure, antimicrobial resistance, mobile genetic elements, and superantigen genes.

Main Results:

  • Identified 80 sequence types (STs) and five major clonal complexes.
  • Observed fluctuating demographic structures in ST5 and ST8 lineages.
  • Linked lineage population dynamics to the acquisition of resistance, mobile genetic elements, and superantigen genes.

Conclusions:

  • Specific S. aureus lineages exhibit dynamic population changes in bloodstream infections.
  • These changes are associated with the acquisition of resistance and virulence factors.
  • Results suggest ongoing selective pressures shaping the ecology of S. aureus in blood.
Keywords:
Molecular evolutionPathogens

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